Brit holiday hotspot Mexico revealed as the world’s second deadliest country ahead of IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN

An arms race between rival organised crime groups and government forces has caused a spike in violence

By Sam Webb

9th May 2017,6:30 pm

Updated: 10th May 2017,10:19 am

MEXICO is the second most deadly warzone in the world – even worse than Iraq and Afghanistan – according to new research.

The crime-plagued nation, which had 513,800 British visitors in 2016, is second only to Syria in combat deaths, according to this year’s Armed Conflict Survey by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

HEAD CASES

A Kalashnikov assault rifle found after a shooting in Cancun, a tourist hotspot

The violence has spiralled as criminal groups like the Sinaloa Catel, Los Zetas and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel look for more extreme methods of controlling territory and sources of cash like cocaine smuggling, heroin production and, increasingly, synthetic drugs laboratories.

They are not afraid to launch direct assaults on cops and the military. In one incident in May 2016 criminals opened fire on a patrol of the Mexican Navy, one of the most capable combat forces in Mexico, killing a marine.

The resulting gunfight also left six suspected criminals dead. Because several small criminal groups operate in the area it has been difficult to discover who launched the attack.

However, the Armed Conflict Survey also reveals deaths from conflict worldwide fell to 157,000 last year, compared to 167,000 in 2015.

It contains detailed analysis of 36 of the world’s high-, medium- and low intensity conflicts.

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